Railway-track cleaner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(3. W. WILLEY. RAILWAY TRAGK CLEANER. No. 288.903. Patented Nov. 20, 1883.

wire

tries.

RA! LWAY-T RACK CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,903, dated November20, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnonen W. XVILLEY, of Athol, in the county ofWorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulRailway-Track Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-i on is designed more particularly for clearing snow fromrailroad-tracks, though applicable to other things-as leaves, lightsoil, or sand, its object being to remove such substances from thetracks and leave the rails free and clear for the trains. I accomplishthese objects by the use of a scraper or plow in combination with one ormore pulverizers, and forcing the obstructing material up through thepulverizingchamber out clearof the track. Its nature is fully shown inthe accompanying drawings of a track-clearer embodying my invention andthe following de seription thereof.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side view or elevation of my devices anda portion of the car for carrying them. Fig. 2 is a front view of thesame as seen from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. ashows a perpendicular sectionof the pulverizingchambcr as with one sideremoved. In Figs. 1 and 2 portions of some parts are shown as removed,to exhibit interior parts beyond them.

The same letters indicate the same part wherever they occur.

A is a portion of a car, of common construction, adapted to contain {theengine B and blowers, which may be of any form adequate to give thedesired motion to the pulverizers, and to furnish a strong blast of airthrough the pipe H to the bottom of the chamber containing thepulverizcrs O P. This chamber is attached to the front of the car A, itscon ical top terminatingin a tube, M, on which the nozzle N is placed,with a joint allowing the nozzle to be turned to either side, as shownby broken lines in Fi 3. The bottom q of this chamber forms the plow orscraper, and has its front edge made with notches q q, so as to work alittle below the top of the rails, and its rear edge elevated to apoint, h, near the lowest pulverizer, where it meets the month of theblast-tube H, as in Fig. 4. Be-

neath this I put the shoe Q, suitably attached,

whose oihce is to rest on the rail before the edges of the notches qtouch the rails, to prevent scraping or catching, the shoes supportingthe whole at such times as the jolt or vibration may throw it down, itsnormal working position being up just clear of the rails. Thepulverizers, which are located in the chamber, consist of shafts 0,extending from side to side, with a number of strong arms, I, firmlysecured to them, and placed in a series one over another, as in Fig. at,as many as found best, the ends of the shafts passing through the sideof the chamber in suitable bearings, and each having a means of driving,as the sprocket-wheels F, Fig. l, and chain E from the driving-wheel Dof the engine, the

leading or guide wheels G showing an ar-.

ran gement where by any number can be driven, the arms of eachpulverizer being driven in the opposite direct-ion to those next to it,giving the greatest pulverizing-power, and by giving them a highvelocity their combined action is to assist the blast from tube H andforce it out through M N. The front part, L, of the chamber is movablein grooves in the sides, capable of being moved up, as shown at L inbroken lines. XV hen down, as in Fig. 2, it leaves one or a part of onepulverizer only open to receive whatever is taken up by the plow (1below, and when the snow is deeper the front L is raised till its loweredge is level with the top of the snow, or enough above to allow all toenter. The side casings, K K, covering the running parts, are madeinclined from the bottom outward as they rise, so as to press back theupper part of the deep snow,

and the fronts incline toward and meet the sides Q of the chamber atasharp angle, clearing a space on each side beyond the chamber.

In operation, the car A, which I prefer should be provided with aboiler, to furnish steam for the engine B, is placed in front of thelocomotive of the train, and is moved by it as fast as it clears thetrack, the engine B driving the blowers and pulverizers only, though itmay be provided with means of attachment to the wheels of carA, forconvenience of transportation or working in very high snow, though Iprefer independent action, as described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a track-clearer, the combinatiolnwith ICO 2. In a track-clearer,the adjustable front L, in combination with a chamber having two or morepulverizers, and means for discharging its contents, substantially asdescribed.

a chamber containing two or more pulverizers, of a bottom formed withtwo slopes or curves, one for guiding the matter up to the pulverizers,and the other directing the blast from the blower up to assist thedischarging action of the pulverizers, and means, substan tially asdescribed, for driving the pulverizers GEORGE W. \VILLEY.

furnishing a blast of air, and tube or means lVitnesses:

of discharge, all constructed and operating KILO VVANN,

substantially as and for the purposes above J. G. ARNOLD. .v set forth.

